A Walk in the Dark
by frescasenorita
Summary: AU What happens when Sawyer and Kate get separated from the group? What will Sawyer do when something goes horribly wrong? How will Kate react? CHAPTER 8 Part I NOW UP!
1. Prologue

**Title: _A Walk in the Dark_**

**Author:** **_Vegeta7423_**, co-written with **_lurking-in-the-shadows_**

**Summary: **What happens when Sawyer and Kate get separated from the group? What will Sawyer do when something goes horribly wrong? How will Kate react?

**Rating:** PG-13

**Timeline: **Takes place between Episode 10** "Raised by Another **and Episode 11 **"All the Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues".**

**Disclaimer:** We do not own Lost, that honor belongs to J.J. Abrams and ABC/Touchstone TV. If we owned Lost, Kate would be with Sawyer and Jack would fall off a cliff.

**Author's Notes:** This is a **_Sawyer/Kate_** fic, and, while Jack is not hated, he is not praised either. There will be swearing, violence, sexual tension, and a healthy dose of angst. **You have been warned.**

**Prologue**

There was a murmur amongst the crowd, a whisper amongst the survivors that the pregnant girl was missing, probably dead, snatched right out of their midst. Charlie, the crazy man who said he was a rock star, had been taken too. So when Jack decided to form a search party, nobody disagreed. They were all afraid that the man who had kidnapped the pair would come back to attack the rest of them. The imposter who had told them he was Ethan Rom, the man from Ontario.


	2. The Search Is On

**Author's Notes:** As mentioned in the Prologue, this takes place during Episode 10 "Raised by Another" and Episode 11 "All the Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues". This chapter is from Kate's POV, and her thoughts are in italic.

Chapter 1: The Search Is On

The crowd was becoming restless, running around like chickens with their heads cut off, their eyes wide and scared. I could nearly taste the fear in the air. Their voices rose then fell silent as Jack stepped to the front.

"Everyone please stay calm. There's no reason for panic. I'm going to take a search party out into the jungle to look for Charlie and Claire. Any volunteers?" Jack announced to the crowd.

Locke was the first to step forward, closely followed by a determined Boone. Shannon cried out in protest but was completely ignored. They talked about how Locke's tracking skills would help but I paid no attention to them. Across the crowd I saw Sawyer, leaning against a tree with a smoke between his lips.

'Sawyer, man what an ass. I bet he won't even bother to volunteer to go help find Charlie and Claire. No wonder everybody hates him! But then again... he does have his moments. He's not as bad as he lets on.'

"Kate!"

I spun around, trying to find the source of the call, only to find the crowd half gone and the group of volunteers making their way into the jungle. I made my way over to Jack, eager to get on with the rescue mission.

"What is it Jack? You got everything, are we ready to go?"

Jack shook his head in negation. "We've already got enough people Kate. I need someone here to keep an eye on things and watch out for Sayid too."

"What do you mean I can't go! **Boone's **going! I've got better tracking skills than Boone! And besides, why can't Hurley look after things?"

"Kate, it's going to be dangerous out there. It's not as if I think that you can't handle yourself, but I would rather you stay here." Jack said soothingly.

That didn't placate me in the least. I was still majorly pissed. There was no way I was staying behind!

"Jack, I'm coming, whether you like it or not. I'm not asking your permission, I'm telling you. "

"Kate, we've been over this…"

"Hey now, what's this, Captain America and Wonder Woman havin' a fight? And here I thought y'all were on the same side."

"Butt out Sawyer, this doesn't concern you," Jack said pointedly.

"Jack, we need to leave now if we want to search before nightfall. We can wait but Charlie and Claire can't." Locke said, clearly impatient.

Jack looked around at the staring faces, and then dropped his head. "Do what you want Kate, but make it quick, we have to leave now," he muttered quietly, his ego obviously bruised.

"Fine then, let's go."

"You heard the lady. Let's go jackass." Sawyer said from behind me, checking Jack with his shoulder as he passed, leaving a reluctant Jack to follow.

I could hear the smirk in his voice as we walked off into the jungle.

**Note:** **As we are new writers we appreciate your feedback good or bad. So please review. **


	3. Broken Branches

"Charlie! Claire!"

They had been searching for little over three hours with no sign of Charlie, Claire, or Ethan. Jack was becoming more frantic by the minute, obviously blaming himself for what had happened.

"Jack calm down, we don't want to attract the enemy," Locke said gingerly.

It was apparent that Locke was annoyed with the group, use to being alone on these excursions instead of dragging along a band of rag-tag misfits. Night was falling and they had found no more than footsteps and a trail of broken branches. However, as they walked on, there were signs of a struggle and then two sets of prints heading east while the third set, still fresh, were headed in the opposite direction.

"There looks like there was a sign of a struggle," Boone said matter-of-factly, a proud smile on his face.

"That does indeed seem to be the case," Locke said.

"Ya, great job there Boone. I coulda told you that ten minutes ago, you dipshit!" Sawyer said, though nobody paid him any mind, except maybe Boone.

"And look, here is one of Charlie's finger bands," Locke pointed out, totally disregarding Sawyer's outburst.

Everybody looked around, searching for any sign of Charlie but, since the sun was slowly setting, it was hard to see much at all.

"We're not going to be able to do anything more tonight, it would be best if we made camp," Locke said.

"But Charlie and Claire are still out there! Are we suppose to just sit around while Claire gets dragged around the island by a complete psycho!" Jack fumed. He was obviously cracking from the day's events.

"Jack, there is not much we can do for them right now, it is best if we get some rest tonight and get an early start tomorrow," Locke replied with no room left to argue.

"But…" Jack started

"Come on Jack, let it go." Kate stepped up beside him, making him look her in the eyes,

"Let it go," she repeated.

"Ok." Jack agreed and went to sit by the fire that Boone has successfully started.

Kate began to make her way over to the fire, passing Sawyer on her way, but was side tracked when one thought crossed her mind…'Why did Sawyer decide to come on this rescue mission? When did he become worried about someone other then himself? I mean he really didn't –'

"You look in deep thought Freckles, what's on your mind?" Sawyer asked curiously, breaking into her thoughts.

"Why are you here, Sawyer? I mean, really, why did you come?"

"I thought ya could tell, Freckles. I wanted to try my hand at being a hero. Ya know, fight for peace and justice and the good of cuddly puppies everywhere," Sawyer said sarcastically.

Kate rolled her eyes. "Yes, of course, I should have known. You wanted to surpass Jack, what a surprise," She laughed shortly, unamused. "As if that could ever happen. You could never be even half the man Jack is."

In the second it took for her to register what she had said, Kate could see the hurt that flashed through Sawyer's eyes before they became shuttered again, and she was instantly sorry. Yet she couldn't take it back now. What was done was done and besides, Sawyer wouldn't take her apology anyways.

"Sawyer, I -"

"You're right Freckles. How could I ever have thought that I could be like the great and mighty Jack. I mean, how stupid of me," Sawyer spat self depreciatingly before turning one his heels and stomping off.

"Sawyer wait!" Kate cried, but Sawyer ignored her completely and walked off into the darkness.


	4. Nightmares

  
Chapter 3: Nightmares 

As she sat in front of it, Kate mused that the fire was soothing and had an almost hypnotic quality. She could have lost herself in the fire, all the thoughts burned from her mind, if it hadn't been for Sawyer.

She really didn't mean what she had said to him earlier and regretted every word. It wasn't like her to feel guilty for so long, especially with something as insignificant as this. Sawyer got what he had coming, and besides, he needed his ego dropped down a peg or two. Kate tried to convince herself that she had been in the right, but a small voice in her head told her that she was wrong. She hated having a guilty conscience and the only way to get rid of the little whisper in her head was to apologize, something she wasn't too fond of doing.

"Why are you still up?" Jack asked from behind her, stretching and trying to stifle a yawn. His hair was tousled from sleep and he was rubbing his eyes.

"Can't sleep," Kate, answered as she turned around to face Jack. " I just have a lot on my mind." She said somberly, then smiled as she saw how cute Jack looked after waking.

"Yeah, we're all worried about Charlie and Claire. But if you don't get proper rest than you won't be any help to us tomorrow," Jack said seriously.

"I know, Jack, I will," Kate said as she stood up and headed for her bedroll. She stopped and turned around, then said softly, "Goodnight Jack."

"Goodnight Kate," Jack replied and the two went off in separate directions.

Kate sank down onto her makeshift bed, or rather, tried to sink. The hard earth made it difficult to get even remotely comfortable, and the thoughts running rampant through her brain didn't help any. She was tired of running, tired of always having to hide her true self.

Jack was the only one who knew much of anything about her past, but he had found out that information by mistake. Jack held her future on the island in his hands all because he had found her mugshot. He knew she was a criminal. He could expose her secret to everyone on the island at any given time, but he hadn't yet. That didn't mean he wouldn't though; Kate had learned long ago never to trust anybody, men most of all. She'd fallen for that trap too many times already, and she wasn't willing to do it again. She'd given up her heart before to someone who she thought she loved and loved her in return, but in the end it had turned out that she had given up her soul to the devil.

These thoughts were tiring though and she drifted off into an uneasy sleep with those words still in her head.

"Mm. No. Please." A plaintive whimper came from somewhere beyond the bushes to Kate's left. "Stop it. Please don't…"

Kate sat up quickly and scanned the clearing to see who was making that noise. It wasn't Jack; he was sleeping peacefully near the fire; nor was it Locke who was laying still and appeared to be asleep, but, upon closer inspection, Kate found that his eyes were still open. Boone was sitting on a log off to the side, near Locke, trying valiantly to stay awake but losing the battle. Every now and then he'd slump down and then jerk back awake, glancing around to see if anyone had noticed that he had neglected his post. That left Sawyer, and Kate wasn't even sure if he had retuned from off in the jungle. She hadn't seen him since their last encounter. Kate knew she shouldn't, but her curiosity got the better of her and she got up to find the source of the noise. For all she knew it could be Claire, crying out for help. She needed to know.

"Hello?" She called into the darkness, "Is anybody there?"

"Help me!" Came a muffled scream.

Kate whirled around and walked cautiously in the direction of the bushes where she thought the cries had been coming from. She warily parted the branches and spied Sawyer, thrashing about in his sleep. He moaned and tossed his head from side to side, hair plastered to his face with sweat. Kate had never seen him like this, so terrified.

"Sawyer," she whispered gently, walking closer, trying to wake the scared man before her.

Sawyer did not wake, but in fact only began to whimper even more. Kate kneeled down beside him, laying a soft hand on his clammy shoulder. She was surprised at the coldness of his body, the sweat beaded on his forehead.

"Sawyer," Kate murmured soothingly, her voice little over a whisper, "Come on Sawyer, wake up."

"No, please stop. Don't do this. Leave me alone!" Sawyer screamed and bolted upright, his eyes wild and panicked.

His cold hand snapped out and grabbed Kate by the throat, applying pressure and cutting off her air supply slowly. She tried to pull his hands away but her strength was slowly diminishing. She pawed at his wrists weakly but, in his half awake and terrified state, Sawyer refused to release her. Realizing this, Kate dropped her hands in defeat.

Blackness was creeping into Kate's vision as she raised her hands one final time to try and get through to the real Sawyer, not the feral man before her.

"Sawyer, stop it," Kate gasped out weakly, reaching out to touch his face, "Let me go."

At her touch, Sawyer's eyes cleared and he let go of her instantly. Kate collapsed in a heap to the ground in front of him, trying to draw air into her deprived lungs while Sawyer looked on in horror at what he had done. Red, bruising finger marks appeared on her pale throat, standing in stark contrast against the creamy white skin. Sawyer was shocked that he could lose control like that, that he had marred her.

Frightened eyes looked up at him as he stood and walked behind her. Sawyer crouched down and a rustling was heard as he reached into his bag. Kate flinched as Sawyer once again came towards her, but he only offered a bottle of water.

"Here," He said softy, his eyes sad, "I'm not gonna hurt ya, Kate."

She took the proffered bottle of water, her hand shaking. She lifted it to her lips and drank from it but ended up coughing it up. Her throat was still too sore to swallow.

"Easy girl," Sawyer murmured, taking the bottle from her hand as she coughed. He picked her up gently and moved her onto his bedroll, which, naturally, was softer than the others'.

Kate's brown eyes searched his before they closed tiredly. Sawyer wasn't about to protest, he had strangled the girl after all, and he wouldn't be able to sleep anyways.

Light rain began to fall, soft and soothing. He only hoped that it wouldn't turn into another one of the jungle's torrential downpours. Just as he thought this, the skies opened up and heavy rain began to fall.

"Ah hell," Sawyer muttered, "Just my luck."

He glanced over at Kate who was now shivering and beginning to stir as cold drops of water hit her face. Lightning cracked across the sky and thunder rolled. However, what woke everyone up was the sound of trees crashing, roars in the distance; slowly moving towards them.

"Run!" came a cry, "Everybody Run!" And the crashing came closer.


	5. Fear

**Chapter 4: Fear**

Boone's word rang through each and every one of the rescue teams' ears, as the sonorous sound of the beast advanced on them. It cut through the trees as if they were grass, and it was heading straight for the camp. They all knew it would be a good idea to start moving if they wanted to live but their bodies remained stock still, not wanting to co-operate with their screaming minds.

"Move, now!" Locke shouted over the sound of the heavy rain and thunder. This snapped everyone back to reality, everyone that is except Kate.

The only thing running through her head was of the mutilated corpse of the pilot. How he had hung there from the tree, his flesh ripped from the bone, his body slowly decaying. She wondered if that was how she would end up once the creature got to them.

Through the haze of her foggy mind Kate thought that she heard her name, but she couldn't find it within herself to reply.

"Come on Freckles," Sawyer said as he dragged Kate to her feet. She was still stunned however, and did not respond, her mind was still with the pilot.

"Let's GO!" He said, more forcefully this time, grasping her arm tightly.

This snapped Kate from her stupor and she followed Sawyer's long stride.

"Gonna need this," he muttered as he swept his pack off the ground and onto his back, like the others had done, before grabbing her arm once again.

The sound of the beast was coming steadily closer to their makeshift camp and the three men ahead of them picked up the pace.

"Let go of me Sawyer," Kate said and jerked her arm free of his grasp, "I'm going to get my bag."

"Nuh uh Freckles, this ain't no polar bear," Sawyer said

Kate's eyes flashed dangerously. "I'm going to get my bag, Sawyer," she said, slowly.

"Dammit Kate, leave it and let's go NOW!" Sawyer snapped and grabbed her, dragging her away before they lost sight of the three entirely.

Kate protested and tried to get out of Sawyer's iron grip but when the crashing of trees advanced upon them she gave up and began to run in earnest. There was no way in hell that she was going to let herself become monster chow.

They picked up the pace, trying to catch up with Jack, Locke, and Boone, but it seemed that they were further behind than they had originally thought. The rain was beating down heavily, making it hard for them to see where they were going and it also didn't help that it was still nighttime. The ground was slick and mud splashed up about their legs, thoroughly soaking them and causing their jeans to stick to their legs like a second skin. It was getting far more difficult to run, exhaustion was creeping up on them.

Kate's lungs were burning, aching. Her legs began to tremble but the adrenaline fueling her body allowed her to push on. Though it was raining it still felt as if she was on fire, her face flushed, sweat trickling down her back. Focused intently on her task as she was, Kate failed to notice the root jutting from the earth. Her foot caught underneath it and she stumbled, crashing abruptly to the ground. All the adrenaline left her and she knew she couldn't go any longer; she didn't have the strength to pull herself up.

"You alright Freckles?" Sawyer asked, nearly tripping over Kate's kneeling form.

"Leave me here Sawyer," Kate said, though it was so quiet Sawyer could barely hear her.

"What was that?" Sawyer asked again, not believing that he had heard her correctly. He didn't think she would give up that easily.

"You go catch up with the others," Kate said, a little louder this time. "I can take care of myself, I'll be fine"

Though he couldn't hear the beast, Sawyer knew that it wasn't far behind.

"Dammit Freckles! Do you want to get eaten? There is no way I'm leaving you here! Your death isn't going to be on my conscience!" Sawyer yelled as he grabbed Kate around her slender waist and hauled her to her feet. "Either you're coming with me or neither one of us are going anywhere." He said stubbornly.

Kate complied begrudgingly but it took all she had to get steady on her feet again. Even with Sawyer holding her around her waist, she was feeling woozy, and if Sawyer were to let go of her she might just end up back on the ground.

Sawyer could feel Kate moving unsteadily in his arms. He knew that if they continued to run like this they would be snack food for the beast but if they didn't keep moving they'd both be dead for sure.

"Come on Kate," Sawyer said quietly as he wrapped his arm around her waist, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible because it was obvious that Kate wouldn't take his help readily. He knew Kate was tough, but she wasn't that tough: she was only human, after all. Sawyer could see that she was worn out and knew that at least part of that was his fault.

"I can walk myself, Sawyer," Kate grumbled, shrugging out of Sawyer's grasp, "I'm not an invalid."

Kate took a few staggering steps without Sawyer's assistance then promptly closed her hand around the nearest tree before she could fall again. She wouldn't let herself look like a fool in front of Sawyer, not any more than she already had.

"Sure you can do it yourself, Freckles. That's why you can't even walk a few steps without falling," Sawyer said gruffly, although there was a hint of concern in his voice, "Swallow your damn pride and let's go."

Kate had told herself that she'd never depend on a man again, and depending on someone as pigheaded and chauvinistic as Sawyer was out of the question entirely. But to get out of the jungle alive she'd need to; if she ever wanted to see Jack again Kate needed Sawyer's help. It was just this once anyways; she'd never have to do it again.

Sawyer put his hand against the small of Kate's back, getting her moving and pushing forward. Reluctantly, Kate put her hand on his shoulder, then slid it around his neck, her other arm falling limp to her side. The two began to walk; moving slowly but steadily in the direction they thought Jack, Locke, and Boone had gone. Neither one of them spoke; the only noise was the sound of trees crashing far off in the distance. In all probability the beast had forsaken them and had taken another path.

* * *

"Great, just great! We're lost!" Sawyer said, just before tripping over a branch that was lying on the jungle floor. "This Island hates me!" Sawyer roared exasperatedly as he and Kate trudged aimlessly through the jungle, not having the slightest idea where they were.

Kate had long since stopped leaning on Sawyer for support; she had finally caught her breath and her legs no longer felt like they'd collapse at any given moment. Now she was just frustrated with Sawyer's constant complaining.

"Stop whining Sawyer," Kate said tiredly to the irate man before her, "The Island doesn't hate you. And we'll get back to the beach eventually."

"That's easy for you to say Freckles. Thanks to you, we're God knows where, with no food and little water." He said, obviously trying to blame Kate for all that had happened.

"Oh hell no! You can NOT pin all this on me! I wouldn't have had to stop if you hadn't tried to KILL me!" Kate shouted.

That got Sawyer to stop. "Tried to kill you!" He snapped as he whirled around to face her, "I wouldn't have done that if you hadn't been an idiot and woke me up!"

"Shut up Sawyer!" Kate nearly growled, getting up in his face, "This is not my fault. If you hadn't been yelling in your sleep I wouldn't of had to wake you! You almost woke the whole jungle!"

Sawyer's eyes went wide and he fell silent as he stepped back from Kate. His nightmares had always been bad but he had never made any noise as far as he knew. But then again, his dreams had never been as vivid as they had been earlier. The nightmares had been getting worse ever since they had crashed on this godforsaken Island. They were all the same though; dreams of his childhood intermingled with his life before. The sounds of bullets rang through his head constantly; he had heard far too many in his youth, in his life. His parents had been first; before them, guns had been used only for hunting and for the cowboys on TV to kill the bad guys. That all changed though; when his daddy shot his mamma then killed himself his whole life had changed. From there on in it was foster homes and maybe, just maybe, he could have stayed a boy longer if it hadn't been for them and their "love".

"Sawyer?" Kate's bemused and more than slightly anxious voice tore him from his thoughts.

"What did I say?" Sawyer asked quietly, his eyes glittering through the darkness that still enveloped them.

"What do you mean? You've been standing there like stone. You haven't said anything."

"Not now," Sawyer said harshly, slightly louder this time. "When I was dreaming, what did I say?"

"I don't know, it was all mumbled. You sounded like you were in pain though. Why, what were you dreaming about?" Kate said, cocking her head.

"Nevermind. It's none of your business," Sawyer growled angrily, "It's not important anyways. Let's just get moving."

"I think it is important," Kate said, looking Sawyer right in the eye, "And it is my business. Whatever you were dreaming about made you strangle me. So what was it about Sawyer, really?"

"Just drop it Kate," Sawyer hissed, turning away.

"Oh no you don't. Now I really wanna know what you were dreaming," Kate said teasingly, a smirk crossing her face, but she quickly sobered, "Did it have anything to do with your letter?"

Sawyer's face twisted in fury, his eyes dark and shuttered once again, and he spun around to face Kate.

"Don't you dare pretend like you know me!" Sawyer shouted, his face contorted with rage, "You don't know anything!"

Kate looked up at Sawyer in surprise; she hadn't expected him to react like that. Sure, she knew he'd be pissed, but this was beyond anger. She had apparently struck a nerve; there was no way he could just brush this off as nothing, not this time.

"If you don't want to tell me, that's fine, Sawyer," Kate said in a clipped tone, "You can stay here and pout, I'm going to go see if I can find Jack, Locke, and Boone.

"Fine! I don't need you!" Sawyer yelled, "You can go and get yourself lost. Fall off a cliff, for all I care!"

"Well what do ya know, the old Sawyer's back. And here I thought you were beginning to become a better man. Guess I was wrong again," She replied scathingly.

Kate turned away once more and stomped further off into the night. She wasn't about to put up with any more of Sawyer's crap, not when she could be doing something more productive. A little voice in her head told her that she should be finding her way back to the beach, to safety, and to Jack. The other voice, evidently more sensible than the other, said that she should make camp and wait for daylight. There was no point in traipsing about in the dark, too many things could go wrong.

Kate's mind was caught in a tug-of-war but she continued walking, too engaged in her thoughts to notice where exactly she was going. Although the rain was no longer pouring it was still drizzling and Kate shivered involuntarily. Her shoes were completely soaked through from the wetness of the jungle floor and the cold had seeped into her bones.

Perhaps it was the rain or her lack of attention. Maybe it was because she was so hell-bent on getting back to the beach. Or possibly it was just fate. Whatever it was; Kate found herself falling, tumbling down a hill she had not seen.

Her scream of pain and terror echoed back to Sawyer and sent a shiver up his spine.

"Kate."


	6. Alone in the Dark

Chapter 5: Alone in the Dark Part I 

"Kate!" Sawyer screamed, her shriek still ringing in his ears.

He had no idea what could have happened, one minute Kate had been standing in front of him trying to dig her way into his past as always, and the next she was stomping off in a huff. How had she gone from that to screaming her lungs out? She wouldn't be yelling like that just for the heck of it, and besides, that was not a noise you made out of anger, this was pure panic. Something must have happened, something terrible.

Sawyer took off in a run in the direction of Kate's cry, dodging trees as he went. Dawn was fast approaching but it was still dark enough to make it difficult to see. The rain was finally beginning to subside, leaving the jungle drenched.

"Kate!" Sawyer called, spinning about, but he got no answer. "Dammit Freckles, where the hell are you," He muttered to himself in frustration.

Sawyer turned and came to face a ridge he had not seen before and would have fallen if he hadn't pulled himself back just in time.

"Jeez" Sawyer said as he stumbled backwards, "I wouldn't want to be the idiot who falls down there."

He peered down over the edge of the precipice and a flash of white caught his eye. Something, or someone, was on the ground at the bottom. Sawyer squinted, trying vainly to see what the thing was. Then it finally dawned on him; it was Kate. There was no mistaking it; the white blouse she wore over her orange top, the same one she had worn when she went hunting with Locke and Michael, was visible from where he stood. His stomach dropped.

"Kate" he called again in a panic, his heart racing as he scrambled down the hill.

If only he had followed her instead of letting her storm off. He shouldn't have stayed where he was; it was far too dangerous for anyone to be alone in the jungle. How could he have let this happen?

Sawyer's head was swarming with possibilities but one stuck. Every fiber of his body was screaming that Kate was dead, and it was all his fault.

"Jesuschrist Freckles, what did you do," Sawyer said gravely. He approached her quickly, dropping his bag as he kneeled beside her sprawled body, turning her gently onto her back so he could inspect the extent of her injuries.

Kate's pant legs had tears in them and a little bit of blood was visible from where it had soaked through. Sawyer hoped it wasn't that serious. His eyes moved up her body, coming to rest on her abdomen where blood had seeped through her orange shirt and white blouse, and was continuing to spread. He hesitantly moved his hand towards her cheek as he finally came to her face. He prayed to God that she was still warm, that she was alive. He had never wanted anything more. Kate had to be alive; she just had to be. Sawyer's fingertips grazed Kate's cheek softly as he searched for some sign that she wasn't dead but her skin was pale and clammy.

He was reluctant to check her pulse, still clinging to the hope that maybe she was still breathing, that her heart continued to beat.

"Come on baby," Sawyer murmured softly to Kate, moving his hand slowly towards her wrist, "Open your eyes for me. You been through worse before, a little thing like this isn't gonna kill ya."

Sawyer finally put two fingers to Kate's wrist, searching for the pulse he knew wasn't there. His heart was in his throat as he searched for it frantically, trying to locate the steady thrum that would indicate that she still lived. It seemed like it had been hours, although in reality it had been only mere seconds, and still he waited. Tears came unbidden to his eyes and he let out a breath he didn't know he was holding; it was there, the gentle beat of her heart under his fingers. She was hurt, but she wasn't dead; she was only unconscious.

"Atta girl," Sawyer said with a smile, relief shining clear in his eyes even as he tried to control his shaking hands.

He couldn't leave Kate behind in the state she was in, not even if it was to get Jack. There were too many things out there; predators and guys who kidnap pregnant girls. Kate wasn't pregnant, but he still wasn't about to risk leaving her, considering what had happened when he left her the last time. He may not be Jack but he could take care of her to some extent, at least until she could move on her own. And, though he didn't want to admit it, he wasn't entirely sure where the beach was. Even if he did carry her they'd probably end up even more lost, then they already were.

Sawyer twisted his body around and grabbed his bag, thankful, now more then ever, that he had snatched it up before both of them got lost in the first place. He opened the flap and began rummaging through it for the extra blanket he had brought with him. Sawyer laid the blanket over Kate's legs, then turned his attention to the wound on her side. He needed to check to see how serious it was; he didn't want her dying because of an injury that he could easily fix. He lifted her shirt up slowly and focused his attention solely on the gash.

"Man Freckles, what else could go wrong with you," Sawyer said sarcastically.

Kate's right side was covered in blood, but as he used her ruined blouse to wipe it away Sawyer saw that it wasn't as bad as he had first thought. At least she wouldn't need stitches, as far as he could tell. Sawyer pulled a bottle of water out of his pack, and though it was only half filled he used a lot of it to clean the wound.

"Damn, there goes the water," Sawyer said as he tore Kate's blouse down the center so he could tie it around the cut, "You better be happy 'bout this."

At this Kate woke with a start, sitting forward abruptly and instantly clutching her side. She let out a stifled cry of pain, startling Sawyer who fell back as his hands were knocked from her stomach.

"Son of a… god Freckles, ya scared the hell outa me," Sawyer said, surprised but inwardly smiling; he was happy and relieved that she was finally awake.

Kate's side was killing her, but her head was the epicentre of pain. She had never been so sore. Kate leant her head heavily in her palm, rubbing feebly at her temples, even as her left arm cradled her aching side.

Kate opened her eyes once more and blinked at the darkness clouding her vision. Everything was black, and she couldn't see any light. Was it still night?

"Sawyer," Kate said, her voice wary, "What time is it?"

"It's mornin'," Sawyer said, "And I'd tell you the time but I don't have a watch."

Kate's hand shot out and clutched Sawyer's arm tightly, her nails digging into the skin.

"Damn Freckles, take it easy," He said, prying off the death grip she had on his arm, "You okay? My arm's starting to go numb."

"Sawyer, I can't see."


	7. Walking Blind

**Chapter 6: Walking Blind**

"What do you mean you can't see?" Sawyer exclaimed.

Sawyer had managed to pry Kate's grip off his arm but she refused to fully let go and had latched herself onto his hand instead. It was almost as though she didn't want to be left alone. Sawyer didn't resist any further.

"I mean I can't see! Everything's black!" Kate shouted, her unseeing eyes darting about in every direction.

"Kate, look at me," Sawyer commanded, "Calm down."

Kate's head was spinning; pain shooting through her entire body. She couldn't remember what exactly had happened and was beginning to panic. Why weren't her eyes working? She couldn't be blind, she just couldn't.

"Sawyer, what's wrong with me?" Kate whispered, turning her head towards the sound of his voice, uncertain if she really wanted the answer.

Sawyer squeezed her hand gently in reassurance; there was nothing he could say that would make things better. He could only hope that this was temporary and they could get out of this jungle alive.

Sawyer looked around and took in their surroundings. The sun was low in the sky, casting long shadows over the ground; they still had plenty of time to try and find their way back. It wouldn't hurt for them to rest, Kate especially. The day - or night rather - had been extremely taxing and sleep would do them good.

"What do you say you and me catch some shut-eye, Freckles," Sawyer said with an over exaggerated yawn.

"I'm blind Sawyer," Kate said forcefully, wrenching her hand from Sawyer's, "And all you can think of is getting me to sleep with you; I knew you were a pig!"

Kate stood up immediately and cringed as she felt the all to familiar pain of her side acting up, but she ignored it. There would be no nap, she was fine, and all Sawyer wanted to do was waste precious daylight and get in her pants. Kate would have none of it.

"You can stay and nap by yourself," Kate huffed, "but I am going to…" Kate's voice trailed off, as she really didn't know in which direction to travel to get home, and that hurt in every way. How was she supposed to find her way back without her sight? No way would she depend on Sawyer again, it was bad enough that he had to support her when her body was broken the first time, but the second time around!

Sawyer knew that Kate wouldn't, in a million years, be able to make it around this jungle by herself; but here she was yelling at him, about how she could overcome this hopefully temporary blindness. Yeah, nothing had changed; this was still the same old Kate. He would just have to swallow his pride this once, and help her out, if she accepted it that is.

"Alright Freckles, we can go, but I did warn you" Sawyer said dryly, reaching for her arm, but before his hand even got there she moved her arm up against her side, clutching her wound.

Kate let out an inaudible moan, as the pain in her abdomen flared up again.

"See what I mean, you need to rest," Sawyer said with a hint of concern in his voice.

Kate ignored his comment and turned around and began walking blindly in the opposite direction. She had no doubt that Sawyer would follow.

Sawyer did follow, picking up the blanket and his backpack with a sigh; it was going to be a long haul from here on in.

Kate could feel the ground under her feet; too bad she couldn't see it though. How was she supposed to survive on this island if she had no sight? It had already been about a month and there was still no sign of rescue. Could she spend months, or, heaven forbid, even years like this? No, she couldn't think like that; she just had to get back to Jack and he could tell her that she'd be fine, that she would see again.

Kate walked slowly and methodically, her hands stretched out in front of her slightly so she wouldn't run into anything.

"If this aint a sorry sight," Sawyer said with a small smirk, shaking his head and moving faster towards Kate, "Come on Freckles, we're not gonna get anywhere if you keep up this pace."

"Screw you Sawyer," Kate said maliciously without turning around, "I told you I don't need your help!"

"Somehow I have a hard time believing that. Look at you walking around, blind as a bat."

"Fuck off! I have the mother of all headaches and I don't need you constantly reminding me why!" Kate shouted, stopping and facing Sawyer for the first time since they had started walking.

Kate's eyes didn't fix directly on Sawyer's face, but he could tell that she was trying to look at him. Her eyes, although fiery, were full of torment.

"Fine then Freckles; three strikes and you're out. You don't want my help, then I won't give it," Sawyer said menacingly, "I'll walk ahead, you can follow."


	8. Trust

**Chapter 7: Trust**

'Everything sounds so much louder when you're blind,' Kate mused to herself as she sat by the fire Sawyer had started. Or at least, she thought it was a fire; Sawyer had sworn enough and she could feel warmth on her face now. Despite her situation, she smiled inwardly. Sawyer still made her laugh, and he got frustrated so easily.

Kate had indeed followed Sawyer after their little argument; it wasn't like she could do anything else though. She had no choice but to go after him, it was perpetually night in her world now and it wasn't like she could have just stayed there. And although he was constantly pissing her off, Kate admitted to herself that she was thankful he was with her. She couldn't imagine being out here alone.

Maybe she should really lay off Sawyer, it wasn't his fault that she had fallen. It was just that she had a monster headache, and the pain in her side only made things worse. The pain had receded slightly, but Sawyer's whining hadn't helped any. Sawyer had been right about one thing; she was definitely tired. Sleep seemed like a really good idea right about now.

Kate let out an involuntary yawn. As much as she wanted to sleep, she was afraid to let her guard down. Anything could happen if she wasn't aware, and she wasn't sure she could or wanted to trust Sawyer. What if he decided to leave?

"Go to sleep Freckles," Sawyer said, breaking their self-imposed silence, "I'm not goin' anywhere."

With a soft thud a pile of fabric landed beside Kate. Sawyer had presumably tossed the blanket to her, their only blanket. Regardless, Kate pulled it over herself; it was really cold without her blouse, even though that only offered minimal resistance to the winds.

"Thanks," Kate murmured quietly, curling into the warmth the blanket provided.

Her eyelids were beginning to droop and before she finally drifted off to sleep she heard Sawyer say you're welcome.

Kate woke with a start, opening her eyes cautiously. She prayed that it was only a dream, that her blindness had been but a figment of her imagination; however, her dreams were dashed when all she saw was darkness. Even in the darkest of nights, light still filtered in. This was not the case with her though, where there should have been light and color there was only a black void. 

"Sawyer?" she said tiredly as she began to sit up.

When there was no reply she called out again, more loudly this time. Yet still no reply was forthcoming. Kate was starting to get worried; Sawyer couldn't be that heavy of a sleeper, no one was on this island.

"Ha ha, you got me. That was a good one there," Kate laughed uncertainly, but when he didn't start laughing with her Kate's heart skipped a beat. "Come on Sawyer, this isn't funny any more."

Now Kate was not only panicked, but she was angry as well. Sawyer had said he wasn't going anywhere. When had he left, and, more importantly, why? Granted, they still weren't on speaking terms, but that was only because she had fallen asleep so suddenly last night. And yeah, they had been fighting, but it hadn't been as bad as some of their previous fights. Why would that one argument make him leave her, especially now?

Kate stood, pulling the blanket around her shoulders; it seemed colder now than it did before. She called Sawyer's name again, although she knew she wouldn't get an answer.  
How could he do this to her! 

"Oooh, Sawyer, if I get my hands on you…" Kate muttered menacingly.

Kate heard the sound of rustling bushes behind her and turned around cautiously, straining her ears to see if she could hear something specific. As the rustling came closer towards her, she backed up slowly. The noise could be caused by anything, from a boar to that sicko who had kidnapped Charlie and Claire. Being blind just made her even more vulnerable.

The noise stopped abruptly and a voice spoke softly next to her ear, "What exactly were you gonna do to me, Freckles?"

"Sawyer," Kate shouted, for it could only be him, "you bastard!"

Kate spun and, using all her strength, punched Sawyer directly in the shoulder.

Sawyer let out a grunt of pain upon impact, "Damn Sweetheart, for a blind person you sure are a good shot."

"Where the hell were you!" Kate demanded, spinning around and moving away from Sawyer quickly so he wouldn't see the tears forming in her eyes.

Kate paced restlessly, running her hands through her hair roughly, her motions short and jerky. She willed herself not to cry, not now, not in front of him; she didn't want him thinking she was weak.

"Jeez Freckles," Sawyer said to the distraught woman in front of him, "I was just out for a smoke."

"You left because of that?" Kate said disbelievingly, still facing away from him as she slowly lost her battle against the emotions that threatened to overwhelm her.

"Thought you didn't need me."

"I…I…" Kate let out a hoarse sob and tried start again, but her face crumpled and she broke down in tears, sinking to her knees.

She didn't care anymore, and she couldn't stop the tears now that she had let them out, even if she wanted to. Tears ran in steady streams down her cheeks and her shoulders shook with the force of her cries. She couldn't help it; she was blind and lost in the jungle, and Sawyer had scared her to death. She just hoped that he wouldn't leave her again.

"Aah, Kate," Sawyer said sympathetically as he sat down next to her uncertainly.

Sawyer didn't know what to do now; he had never dealt well with crying women. Usually he just left, but he couldn't do that with Kate, that was what had started this whole mess in the first place.

Kate's sobs were painful to hear but he couldn't just sit there and do nothing. She wasn't like other women; he couldn't sleep with Kate to shut her up. Slowly he raised his arm and placed it around her shoulders. When she didn't resist, Sawyer gently pulled her towards him and she latched on like a lifeline, throwing her arm around his neck. Kate buried her head in his shoulder as she continued to sob.

"C'mere," Sawyer said softly and eased her onto his lap, if only to get more comfortable.

Kate didn't protest, only curled further into him and tightened the circle of her arms around his neck. Sawyer slid his arm around her back while the other stroked her hair tenderly, all the while making soothing noises in the back of his throat.

After sitting there for a while, Kate's tears began to ebb and her grip loosened as she began to drift off to sleep again. Sawyer could feel the soft puff of her breath against his neck and the rise and fall of her chest had evened out; now that all of Kate's tears were gone she could rest easy.

Sawyer shifted her slightly, but did not move her from her place in his lap. It actually felt nice to comfort someone for once. He fell asleep like that; watching over her, his cheek resting lightly on the crown of her head.

Beyond the sleeping pair stood a man in the shadows of the trees; watching, and waiting.


	9. Psychosis Part I

**Author's Notes: **It's been a long time since we've updated our fic, and it's even harder now because LOST is now in the second season. However, because of the unfaltering good reviews we've been getting, we've decided to try and continue 'A Walk in the Dark.' Thanks to all of you who never gave up on us and our fic. We really appreciate it.

**Chapter 8: Psychosis Part I**

They knew where She was, they knew. He had to find her. There was no way he was going to let her slip away from him again.

Her skin had been so soft and her piercing blue eyes were terrified when he took her. That little boy who called himself a rockstar was like a fly; he was constantly buzzing around but he could easily be swatted away. This time though, the little fly refused to be swatted and Charlie had knocked him unconscious with a large rock, running away with the girl he refused to give up. She was HIS, and her friends would help him find her.

He had heard them before, could have heard them from miles off. They were constantly at each others' throats, stomping carelessly through the jungle. It would be so easy to tear them apart. And now that Kate was blind, it only made his job that much easier. That brute Sawyer wouldn't stop to save her, he only cared about himself; he knew that much. After living amongst the survivors, pretending to be one of them, he had seen how things went. Sawyer was a hoarder and Kate was helpless without the doctor.

He watched them, peacefully sleeping against one another. He grinned slowly. That peace wouldn't last much longer.

Kate shivered as she felt the cold island wind blow in her direction, chilling her to the bone. Goosebumps raised up on her arms, almost as though someone was staring at her. Even so, she refused to open her eyes, she was far too comfortable where she was. Kate couldn't remember ever being this comfortable on the island, she was used to sleeping on the hard sand that compacted with the weight of your body. She wouldn't give up this place until she was forced to.

Kate pulled the blanket closer around herself and burrowed instinctively into the warmth, breathing in the soft scent of cologne. Cologne, why would she be smelling that? Then it dawned on her. She had broken down last night and cried out her fear and pain. How could she have let herself do that, and in front of Sawyer no less. She'd never hear the end of it. She had let her emotions show and Sawyer had pitied her enough to comfort her. But then again, Sawyer didn't do compassion; he hated when people pitied him, so why would he do that to her. It had seemed like a dream, but it could only be Sawyer's lap she was curled up in.

Kate shifted and let out a low moan, then mentally kicked herself when Sawyer began to stir. She had to move before Sawyer fully woke up or face all that awkwardness that would undoubtedly occur. Maybe if she pretended to still be asleep he would get up and leave first and then everything would be back to normal when she 'woke up'. He wouldn't mention this incident, he couldn't let anyone know that he had let down his hard shell exterior and had comforted her. He was probably just as wary of being mocked as she was.

Sawyer shifted into wakefulness with a sigh. This was the first night on the island that he had slept fully without the nightmares that usually plagued him. Why had he actually slept through the night; he never did that, even more so now that he was thrown onto this hell hole. Even when he was back in civilization he couldn't sleep without waking every hour. Whether it was from his parents yelling at each other or from the foster father who insisted that he loved him; he was never able to get a decent night's rest. And for once he was warm. Sawyer rolled his head from side to side and heard his neck crack before he slowly opened his eyes to the harsh light of day. Squinting against the brightness, he pushed his hair back off his forehead only to find brown strands that weren't his.

"What the..." Sawyer said, surprised and confused, for the hair looked a lot like... "Freckles."

It all came rushing back to him. How he had left Kate to go for a short walk, to clear his head and have a smoke. God knows he needed one; with all this stress it was worth it to have one of his carefully rationed cigarettes, even though he had very few left. When he came back though, that smoke wasn't worth it anymore. Kate was in a panic and was screaming out his name.

_He had heard her from where he was in the jungle, which wasn't too far, although even if he had been further off he could have heard her. Hell, the people on the beach probably heard Kate. When he had made out her calls his heart dropped. She had been through far too much already and now something else was wrong. Why else would she be calling his name like that?_

Sawyer ran as fast as his legs could carry him, but slowed down as he approached the clearing they had been sleeping in. He didn't want to alert anything to his presence, he needed to surprise whatever was attacking Kate. As he stepped further into the bushes he saw what was really wrong. Kate wasn't being attacked at all, at least not physically. She appeared to be terrified and incredibly pissed off, but she was unharmed as far as he could see. Kate had scared him out of his wits just because she was having a hissy fit?

"Oooh, Sawyer, if I get my hands on you…" Sawyer had heard Kate mutter and he decided to have a little fun. She had scared him so he would scare her. Besides, what harm could it do.

So Sawyer had snuck up on Kate and spooked her. He didn't expect her to react like that though. She had freaked out and broke down, leaving him to stand there like a fool.

"Damn," Sawyer had said quietly to himself, "I broke her."

Ya, he was a bastard, but he couldn't just let her sit there and cry. So he had sat down next to her and comforted her. Even though he wasn't good at consolation, it hurt him to see her cry, so he had to. And when Kate fell asleep on his lap with her head on his chest he couldn't help but follow. It was the first time in a long while that he had been that comfortable or had fallen asleep so easily. The solace wasn't only for Kate.

Sawyer shook himself out of his thoughts and looked down at Kate. She was far too still and was trying too hard to keep her eyes closed for him to think she was asleep. He smirked at her attempts to get out of the situation easily, that wasn't gonna happen if he had anything to do with it.

"I hope you don't think this is how it's gonna be from now on, Freckles," Sawyer said to Kate's 'sleeping' form and shifted slightly but made no move to get up, even though his back was stiff and his legs were numb.

"What do ya think I am here, Freckles," Sawyer said smugly, "your personal pillow?"

Kate raised her head slightly with groan but dropped it again quickly as she blushed crimson.

"Don't worry, Sweetheart, I won't tell Dr. DoRight our little secret," Sawyer said with a sly smile.

Kate blushed harder but the light came back in her eyes.

"There's nothing to tell, is there now Sawyer," Kate said with a small grin, and, although her tone was slightly threatening, she elbowed him playfully in the ribs before moving off his lap.

Sawyer stifled a groan of disappointment as Kate stood up slowly. He felt cold without her weight on him, and there wouldn't be another chance like this again. Sawyer stood as well, his joints popping like Kate's had.

"It's daylight now," Sawyer said, breaking the awkward silence, "let's get moving."


End file.
